The present invention relates to plumbing in general, and more particularly, to devices used to restrain residential water heaters.
States which have a high earthquake risk require that residential water heaters be secured so that they will not tip over as a result of seismic disturbances. This prevents serious injury that a person might incur if hit by a heavy water heater falling off a raised platform. Also, if the water heater tips over, the gas line will rupture, creating a severe danger of fire and/or explosion. Hawaii has a similar requirement to secure water heaters from tipping over due to high winds.
For example, by law in California (Section 19211(a) of the Health and Safety Code) all new and replacement water heaters sold in California on or after Jul. 1, 1991, and all existing water heaters shall be braced, anchored, or strapped to resist falling or horizontal displacement due to motion induced by earthquake.
Section 510.5(e) of the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) requires that in seismic zones three and four, water heaters shall be anchored or strapped to resist horizontal displacement due to earthquake motion. According to this section, strapping shall be at points within the upper one-third and lower one-third of its vertical dimensions, and a minimum of four inches above the controls shall be maintained relative to the lower strapping.
Even before laws were enacted that mandate the anchoring of water heaters, plumbers tape has been wrapped around the top third and bottom third of a residential water heaters. The tape is then nailed to the wall studs. The studs are difficult to locate and the tensile strength of such attachments is dubious, at best.
Various products have been specially developed and commercialized for more securely anchoring residential water heaters. The QUICK STRAP 50 (Trademark) water heater restraint manufactured by HoldRite, Inc. of San Marcos, Calif. comprises upper and lower metal straps that surround the water heater. Each strap has its opposite ends connected via lag bolts through dry wall into adjacent wall studs. Each strap has two segments which have vertical slots into which are fitted U-shaped metal brackets. The brackets are pulled together by a nut and bolt assembly. The packaging for this product indicates "patent pending". A similar product with straps and tensioning buckles is sold under the trademark SPACEMAKER TS-E-25.
While the aforementioned commercial products may appear to provide some degree of restraint, they are often improperly installed and do not achieve their ultimate goal. Both products are installed after the drywall has been hung. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately locate the studs. Tapping the wall for sound or using a stud finder is tedious and prone to error. Frequently, the installer does not locate the center of the stud and/or drills the wrong size pilot hole. The lag bolt screwed into the pilot hole may thus not provide the desired tensile strength. Worse yet, a building inspector cannot check for correct anchoring with these devices. Frequently, the installer drills a number of test holes, requiring subsequent spackling and painting. In addition, both the aforementioned commercial products include up to sixteen feet of strap to accommodate various mounting configurations, and much of this strap ends up being wasted.